Sounds yummy!

Yay! Don't you love it when after all the hemming and hawing over chips and samples, it all works out?

Can't wait to see those pictures!

Tease! I was excited to open the thread and see pictures.

My DD used Azores in her bathroom. It's a great color!

Pictures!!! :-)

Pictures, please :)

They're coming, I'm getting ready to paint the rest of the wall right now.

Loved looking at those blue/green choices yesterday, can't recall which you choose. Anxious to see it done in the room.

Any pictures yet? I can't wait to see!

Laurie

I am so disgusted! Now that I've got the whole room painted, I don't think I like it anymore. It just seems like such an odd color. I don't think I've ever seen a wall this color in person. I can't figure out how to post these pics. I'll keep trying.

Okay, got the pictures uploaded. The color looks a bit darker in person. It is such a weird color the more I look at it.

I like the kitchen color. I think it's the cabs and the counters that are throwing you off the color. What about an espresso chocolate color for your cabs?

Love the painting in your bathroom. I did a lot of rich colors in our last house, and got tired of them pretty quickly. Maybe that's your issue with the color? It's a bit too mauvey-pinkish for my taste, but it looks like it coordinates nicely with your painting.

The Azores is beautiful! As for the cabs, look at the dark frame on the bird print and how nice it looks against that blue. An espresso color would look great. The countertops can easily be changed out to a lighter travertine color and add a travertine backsplash.
The other way would be to do off white cabs with or without a coffee glaze. The paint will look great with either!

The first thing I thought of was that beautiful color that GirlWithAspirin used on her cabinets, which I guess you would call espresso.

Is that small patch of blue behind the bird picture BM Azores?

Graywing, I honestly can't remember what the blue behind the bird picture is - maybe Wythe Blue, which is too garish in person. Azores is the darker shade to the left of the picture.

I really am not working with too much money. What are some cheaper countertop options beside laminate? I would really love that almost black granite and then I could do the cabs in the off-white with the coffee glaze as kmcg85 suggested. But then I have all white appliances, was worried there wouldn't be enough contrast with the cabs. I was thinking espresso paint too, any color suggestions? Also, are there any special treatments people have done to make the finish look more like natural wood than paint? I don't know if you can re-stain previously pickled wood, but these cabs must be the cheapest wood you can find.

I think my fundamental problem is blueish green just seems strange for a kitchen to me. But I know I will be living with it, at least for a while. Maybe with the right accessories, it will grow on me. You might notice how bad the door looks in the first pic. The builder used the cheapest paint on the trim and doors. Any suggestions on how to repaint (what type of paint, which color)? Suggestions on art work? Most of the pictures I have are hand me downs from my mom. Both pieces of art in these pics are from the 70's!

I am so mad, as I was in love with the color when I first started putting it up on the walls. I second guess everything I do. And I hate it that I can't ever get anything to look as good in this small house that those in the bigger houses with tall ceilings, molding, lots of trimmed out windows can.

OK, finally finished painting everything and touched up any missed spots. I like the color more now than when I was upset with it earlier. I was off work today, and it looked perfect in the areas where the sunlight was coming through the windows. Please don't laugh at me, but I'm posting pics of the "finished" kitchen as it is now. Please, any and all suggestions for inexpensive things I can do to make the place look better and read more "expensive", including cabinet painting ideas, and how to dress the area above the cabs. I realize I probably have too much up there, but it looks so bare without anything. I was thinking of filling some glass cylinders of various heights and added some of those lemons, limes, and oranges. Is that tacky? Please be honest, you won't hurt my feelings. Remember this is a little modest home, I'm doing the best I can!

I really like the paint color. But I agree, I think the cabinets should be painted an espresso chocolate and then add some brushed nickle hardward. I think just changing the color of the cabinets, will make your floor tile pop and flow better with your countertop. On top of your cabinets, I can see some dark brown baskets. Leave some empty, lay some on their side or add some greenery/flowers to a few. Don't be so hard on yourself, you have a beautiful place.

Gorgeous color!! I had the pickled oak cabinets as well and painted them white. The transformation was amazing! Painting the cabinets white would look amazing with the blue. I can also see an espresso brown looking good on them.

I would take the microwave down off the fridge and angle it in the corner countertop between the stove and sink. I LOVE the white plates you have above the stove!!! I would add some sort of greenery or faux plant to the counter or above the cabinets. And I feel like the prints over the stove don't really match the paint. I feel like the plates and things over the sink don't really work. I would stick with the colors in the plates over the stove. Maybe leave the rooster up there and find some plants, candles, etc to put up there??

It looks awesome!!!!! Love where it's headed!

Like I said, my DD has this color in her bathroom and I know the color looks better IRL. I do think it is your cabinet colors that is throwing it off. I love it with the white appliances. The white plates above the stove go nicely too. I would paint the cabinets white. The expresso color girlwith aspirin used was BM Biteersweet. I painted my bathroom vanity that color.

I would either stain or paint your cabinets and add hardware. An over-the-range mw would work really well in your set up (not a hugely popular option over on the kitchens forum, but substantially more convenient than on top of the refrigerator!). GE makes nice ones for relatively little money, especially since you want white and not stainless. I was very happy with mine, and I think it cost about $250.

I would edit the stuff you have on top of the upper cabs. I like the plates and rooster, but you have a bit too much going on up there and it just looks like a lot of dusting. :)

What about that paint that is specially designed for laminate? I would start there since you have a very limited budget. You could also tile counters with large granite tiles -- those can be found fairly inexpensively. With the large format tiles, you would have few grout lines. If you do dark tiles and dark grout, you won't have the obvious staining problem I get with my white grout. Grrr.

I love the color. Very pretty. Getting rid of the pickled cabinet color and adding hardware will make a huge difference.

Thank you all so much for the kind words and ideas. I am thinking more and more either white or off-white cabinets may be the way to go. I don't know, I just wonder whether espresso colored paint doesn't look too much like you are trying to mimic wood, and it doesn't look like a really pale imitation. I was worried that with white accessories, there would be too much white going on with white appliances, too. I really don't know what to do with the microwave, I have such little counterspace as it is. Maybe I could find someplace in the pantry to stick it?

Just wanted to add that the china above the stove is actually my mom's wedding china. It is a very "70's" pattern in Sango china called Hellespont. It has lots of green tones with some purple, coral, blue, and red in an almost Turkish/Mid-East sort of pattern. I have an entire set of it in the cab behind the dreaded microwave! Maybe I should take down the multicolored plates and add some more of these? I didn't get a yea or nay on the apothecary glasses with citrus. I thought that might be pretty.

I think your Azores color looks very pretty in your kitchen. It actually looks kind of retro, which is 'in' right now. Do you like it now? Or is it still not sitting right with you? I do believe that if you can afford to repaint, you should, if you don't love your color. I worked very hard to work with a periwinkle blue I chose for my bedroom. At the time I picked it, I figured that it would make everything work in my room. But I didn't put enough stock in my own instincts. I rarely like blue walls and it didn't take long before I had to redo everything because of that one wrong paint choice.

I read what you wrote about making laminate look like wood and I agree. Paint your cabs white or cream or a warm white. Add some hardware. (Make sure you make a template for the hardware so they will all look just right when you attach. Espresso is lovely, it's way in style right now, but in your small kitchen, I think it will disappoint you. Go with your gut--with a white. And after you get your cabinets painted, then, see how you feel about the Azores. At that point, you may love it. Or if you don't, you will have all the color choices at your disposal because they won't have to work with the pickled look.

Your bathroom is fine. The color doesn't do a thing for me, but perhaps it looks better in person. Out of curiosity, what are your favorite colors for rooms? What colors make you stop and stare at pictures in magazines? What do you like? and what do you have in your home that you love?

Red

Red,

Thanks for the comments. My favorite color is definitely green. I love jades, pale greens, emerald, beetle green (that metallic green shot with gold). I also love firey oranges. I love a tropical chic kind of decor. Love the British colonial thing mixed with some Asian flair, love rich woods, sheen-y fabrics.

For some reason, I've been on an aqua kick lately. It all started when I decided to paint the bathroom cocoa (and I'm still not sure if I like the color in the bathroom. It just doesn't "feel" right). That's where I got the idea to pair aqua as an accent to the brown, and it's been like a fever ever since. The fact that aqua seems to be everywhere in home decor these days isn't helping to quell my obsession.

I thought, aqua's in, I love green anyway, and it will go with my love of tropical decor. Where the Azores color doesn't touch the cabs or countertops, I love it. It just is so weird with those elements. You're right, it almost has a mid-century modern feel to it. I hope people are right in telling me painting the cabs white will cure a lot of ills. I really like how the paint looks against white trim.

Another weird thing about this color is that different greens play funny games with it. The dark green in the two orchid ceramic art pieces above my stove look funny against this aqua color.

OK, so if I'm going with white or off white cabs, please give me some ideas. And reassure me that with all white appliances there won't be a white overload! Believe or not, I've been toying with the idea of painting the cabs glossy black for a while. Love glossy black furniture!

I really like the colour. How did you ever find the "one?"

I am still looking for the perfect grey that is so light that it is almost white...sigh. No luck, but since you found the one that makes you happy, I'm hoping I will pop back to show my find.

I think white cabs would look fab with that colour.

I think it's a gorgeous color! In case you haven't seen girlwithaspirin's kitchen, here's a link.

Laurie

Here is a link that might be useful: girlwithaspirin's kitchen

Please don't laugh at me, but I'm posting pics of the "finished" kitchen as it is now.

What's to laugh at? It's lovely!

As much as I like espresso, I think that redbazel is right in keeping it light in there.

Your color is very pretty, not impressed with microwave on refrig. Looks like that could be dangerous getting something hot from way above your head. You have very little room to set one so i would do the one above your stove. Maytag makes a really nice one for that and i like the fact the dish inside doesn't rotate in a circle, it slides back and forth and let's you use a larger dish which you can't with it turning. It heats just as even as the one that rotates. Pretty kitchen

Okay, I think I've made the decision to paint the cabs white. I have just finished de-cluttering/deep cleaning 95% of my house (still a few drawers, etc. left to go) and it feels wonderful to have a clear kitchen table for the first time in forever! I actually have a weekly cleaning schedule that is easy to maintain now that all the junk that kept getting in the way is gone. Now I can concentrate on the fun stuff!

I think I'm going to redo all my doors and trim in BM White Dove. I know it's a WHITE white, but it makes everything look so crisp and clean in my dark house. I am wondering if that color might be too stark for the cabs, though. Any other BM color suggestions in whites, creams, etc. I don't want too far from white. Maybe Linen White? Any pics? Also, should the cabs match the rest of the trim? And how hard is it to add a crown molding to the top of the cabs?

After the cabs are white I can re-evaluate Azores as a permanent color. If I can save up enough, I want to do dark, maybe black countertops and a backsplash of mixed tiles in browns, creams and blacks. That would look amazing with white cabs, I think.

We are considering using Azores as our exterior color on our house . We will paint a sample on our house and look at it over a few weeks, before deciding .